Power protests: Elahi accuses Shahbaz of fomenting violence

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid leader and Senior Federal Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Saturday accused Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif of inciting violent protests in the province instead of playing his role to resolve the power crisis.
"Shahbaz Sharif is involved in arson and loot instead of extending co-operation to resolve the energy crisis," he said while talking to reporters at his residence after meeting with Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. PML-Q's chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and other party leaders were also present on the occasion.
Elahi also accused the chief minister of inciting protesters to attack the residences of PML-Q leaders and public as well as private properties, adding that the organised protests were being led by PML-N MPA and central leaders. Chaudhry Parvez Elahi said this while talking to media people at his residence here Saturday after Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf's meeting with Pakistan Muslim League President Senator Shujaat Hussain, MNAs and other leaders.
He also urged the newly-elected Prime Minister Raja Parvez Musharraf to take immediate measures to resolve the energy crisis. He added that the Prime Minister has assured his party to implement the formula suggested by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to get rid of the power load shedding. About the election of the Prime Minister, he said that PML-Q's 41 MNAs had voted in favour of Raja Parvez Ashraf whereas two members were abroad and one was sick but they had informed the party leadership in advance. He said references were being filed against party MNAs for their disqualification who had violated the party policy by abstaining from voting.
He said the Prime Minister had come to express his gratitude to the party leadership and the party leadership exchanged views with him on a single subject that the energy crisis should be brought under control at the earliest. To a question about attacks on the houses of PML-Q leaders including Ahmad Yar Hiraj and Riaz Fatiana, he said all the provinces except Punjab were ready to extend co-operation for overcoming the energy crisis.
"Shahbaz Sharif is trying to gain political mileage from the situation and misleading the people exploiting the national crisis," he alleged. He said people would get to know that Punjab government was not serious in extending co-operation to get rid of the worst power load shedding.